Grayton Mortgage, Inc.

Grayton Mortgage, Inc. was quoted in a recent article on Realtor.com by Allaire Conte regarding lenders us of social media in reviewing borrower employment history.

LinkedIn is *not* used for the approval / denial of any mortgage application. Lender's will use employment history to fill in the blanks that might exist on the job history on a mortgage application.

Mortgage Lenders Are Checking LinkedIn: Here’s How Your Social Media Could Affect Your Chance of Being Approved Lenders are quietly checking LinkedIn and other public profiles. Here’s how your digital footprint could impact your mortgage application.

Grayton Mortgage, Inc. was quoted in a recent U.S. News and World Report article regarding mortgage recasts by Jessica Merritt.

Mortgage recasts can be a great cash management tool. A borrower can pay down a chunk of the mortgage, and in doing so, put in for a recast - which would lower the payment (pro rata with the amount paid down).

I Got a Tax Windfall: Should I Recast My Mortgage or Make a Principal Payment? Understand how a large payment can affect your future.

Grayton Mortgage, Inc. was quoted in a recent article in Salon on the wealth of millennials.

The run up in real estate prices over the last 5 years has created a quite a bit of equity for those who bought in most major markets. But, the lack of liquidity doesn't quite fell the same as cash in the bank...

Millennials are wealthier than ever — but they don't feel it The generation has a disconnect between being wealthy on paper and feeling financially free.

A great article by Nicole Friedman in The Wall Street Journal.

We are seeing this. Many home buyers missed the boat on low interest rates and lower home prices that were available in mid 2020. But, family circumstances drive housing needs. Most families / couples want to own and not rent.

Home Buyers Start to Come Off Sidelines Even as Rates, Prices Stay Stuck A new baby, a new job and other big events spur some to quit waiting: “You can’t pause your life for what rates are going to do.”

Contact Sherry Nguyen for help with a financing on your next purchase in California.

$900,000 Homes in California A midcentury modern condo in Los Angeles, a cabin in Lake Arrowhead and an end-unit condo in Palm Springs.

Grayton Mortgage, Inc. was recently quoted in an article by Jake Safane on Investopedia regarding the differences between pre-qualfication and pre-approval for a mortgage.

When you're ready to enter the housing market, our team is ready to help with either.

Kevin Leibowitz
Sherry Nguyen
Eyal Raziel

Pre-Qualified vs. Pre-Approved: What’s the Difference? Pre-qualified and pre-approved sound the same, but mean very different things for homebuyers—and carry very different weights with home sellers.

Kevin Leibowitz was quoted in a recent Yahoo Finance article regarding strategies on inflation.

Not surprisingly, we espoused the benefits of owning real estate as a hedge against inflation.

6 Strategies Millennials Are Using in 2025 To Shield Their Wallets From Inflation Inflation has driven the cost of U.S. goods and services up 23% since early 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Be Aware: 10 Things the Middle Class Won't Be Able To Afford in Less Than...

https://www.brownstoner.com/development/nyc-record-number-homes-built-2024/

New York City Built 33,974 Homes in 2024, Setting a Record Approximately 33,974 new homes were built in new buildings across New York City in 2024, the most since 1965.

Kevin Leibowitz was quoted in a recent article on Realtor.com by Yaël Bizouati-Kennedy on mortgage interest rate deductions that can possibly reduce the Federal tax bill for a homeowner.

Perhaps the only silver lining to higher interest rates is that some homeowners are now paying more in interest than the standard deduction. When this is the case, the taxpayer now has the opportunity to itemize deductions...which can translate in to a lower tax bill.

Your Recent Mortgage Statement Holds the Secret to a Big Tax Bonus This Year Navigating tax deductions for homeowners can be challenging. One document to not overlook is your mortgage statement.

Reach out to Sherry Nguyen at Grayton Mortgage, Inc. for help with a mortgage in California.

$4.5 Million Homes in California (Gift Article) An Italianate house in San Francisco, a contemporary house on 42 acres in Carmel Valley and a post-and-beam house in Santa Barbara.

Kevin Leibowitz and Grayton Mortgage, Inc. was quoted in a recent CBS MoneyWatch article on the direction of interest rates.

The impact of Trump's tariffs will drive rates, but we won't see how those tariffs play out in earnest for a few months. Short terms movements in rates is the anticipation of what's to come.

Will mortgage interest rates fall in February without a Fed meeting? Experts weigh in Mortgage rates could fall, experts say, but it depends on several factors. Here's what to know.

Grayton Mortgage, Inc. and Kevin Leibowitz was quoted in a recent article on Realtor.com by Yaël Bizouati-Kennedy.

Probably the only silver lining to higher interest rates over the last couple of years is that the home mortgage interest rate deduction is back.

If a borrower had a $500,000 mortgage in at 3%, then the interest paid is approx. $15,000 / year. At 7%, it's $35,000 / year. (These are approximations).

The standard deduction for 2024 is $14,600 for single filer and $29,200 for joint filers. If a tax payer has write-offs in excess of these amounts, then they can itemize their taxes and save money.

State and local taxes (SALT) come into play as well, but only up to $10,000.

Make sure you reach out to your CPA to see if you're eligible.

Your Recent Mortgage Statement Holds the Secret to a Big Tax Bonus This Year Navigating tax deductions for homeowners can be challenging. One document to not overlook is your mortgage statement.

In an interesting writeup in The Wall Street Journal on the Manhattan co-op market. Younger, wealthy New Yorkers are opting for other options than the staid, pre-war options on the Upper East / Upper West Side.

Grayton Mortgage, Inc. is helping clients buy condos, predominantly in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and single family homes in the five boroughs.

Reach out to Kevin Leibowitz for help with financing.

Owning a New York City Co-op Isn’t the Status Symbol It Used to Be Prices for prestigious addresses have fallen even more behind condos, as younger buyers seek out newer, flashier buildings downtown.

Reach out to Sherry Nguyen (408-854-5397) at Grayton Mortgage, Inc. for help with a mortgage in Calfiornia.

What $800,000 Buys You in California A Spanish-style home in Long Beach, a Mediterranean-style house in San Leandro and a Craftsman bungalow in Los Angeles.

Thank you to Gina H**b and Ben Eisen at The Wall Street Journal for helpful advice on what to do on damaged properties.

Please reach out to Kevin Leibowitz or Sherry Nguyen - we're happy to help any homeowners who have been impacted by the fires.

What Happens When Your House Burns Down and You Still Have a Mortgage? Borrowers are still on the hook but might be able to pause payments.

The LA Fires have wreaked havoc for many. For those that have had their properties impacted, the large government sponsored entities (FannieMae and FreddieMac) have provided guidance. These two entities are the true owners of most of the mortgages in the U.S.

The FreddieMac link is below. I will include the link from FannieMae on a separate post.

Please reach out to Kevin Leibowitz or Sherry Nguyen at Grayton Mortgage, Inc. at 844-472-9866 for additional help and guidance if needed.

https://freddiemac.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/freddie-mac-reminds-homeowners-impacted-devastating-wildfires

The LA Fires have wreaked havoc for many. For those that have had their properties impacted, the large government sponsored entities (FannieMae and FreddieMac) have provided guidance. These two entities are the true owners of most of the mortgages in the U.S.

The Fannie Mae link is below. I will include the link from FreddieMac on a separate post.

Please reach out to Kevin Leibowitz or Sherry Nguyen at Grayton Mortgage, Inc. at 844-472-9866 for additional help and guidance if needed.

Fannie Mae Reminds Homeowners, Renters, and Mortgage Servicers of Disaster Relief Options for Those Affected by the Southern California Wildfires | Fannie Mae Fannie Mae is reminding homeowners and renters impacted by natural disasters, including those affected by the ongoing wildfires in Southern California, of available mortgage assistance and disaster relief options.

Reach out to Sherry Nguyen and Grayton Mortgage, Inc. for help with a mortgage in California.

$2 Million Homes in California A contemporary house in Idyllwild, a midcentury modern home in Palm Springs and a Queen Anne Revival in Napa.